


our winter solstice

by hyungsobbing



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, very light angst, winter holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 21:46:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15300687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyungsobbing/pseuds/hyungsobbing
Summary: During the winter solstice, the sun stands still. And when Donghyuck and Yukhei meet in the winter of 2018, it’s the brightest time of their lives.





	our winter solstice

One hour ago, Doyoung had predicted that there would be a disaster within an hour of their trip. Thirty minutes in, he’s staring at Donghyuck who’s pleading with the flight attendant to let him out of the plane just for a few seconds. The flight attendant relents, and she unfolds a staircase from the plane down to the ground. Donghyuck runs down the stairs as fast as he can, the cold wind biting his bare arms. 

The blue and white of his Doraemon passport lies metres away from him, and he turns around to see the plane engine starting up. “Shit.” He mutters, and runs faster. Just…a bit…more, he thinks, and reaches down to pick the passport off the ground. Donghyuck runs back to the plane, and the flight attendant is standing at the entrance of the staircase, arms crossed. “Wait!” He yells, and crosses the last few strides to the plane. She huffs and closes the door, ushering Donghyuck back to his seat.

“I told you so,” is the first thing that comes out of Doyoung’s mouth when Donghyuck returns, flushed and hair messy. “You didn’t even help me!” He argues, passing the passport to his parents for safekeeping.

“Who asked you to trip and drop it out of the plane linkway?” His older brother replies. Donghyuck scoffs and plugs his earphones in.

When the plane starts rumbling across the runway, Donghyuck reaches over to grip Doyoung’s hand. “It’s not even your first flight.” Doyoung says, but doesn’t let go of his hand. “But it’s still scary!” Donghyuck whines.

The plane lifts off, and Donghyuck actually squeals out loud. Passengers side-eye him and Doyoung nudges him painfully, but he still leans over to watch as the cities and houses below them get smaller and smaller. “Don’t you feel powerful, looking at all the small people below?” Donghyuck asks, and turns around to see Doyoung already sleeping.

“Boring,” He mumbles, and releases their hands.

-

Their plane lands at Kansai International Airport about 2 hours later. His parents gently nudge him and Doyoung awake. “Get your suitcases ready, we’re getting off the plane soon.”

“Finally,” Donghyuck mutters, his voice hoarse and nose stuffy from the incredibly dry air on the plane. Doyoung pulls down his (boring) black suitcase and then Donghyuck’s (cute) Doraemon luggage, dropping it onto the floor abruptly.

When they reach the hotel at midnight, the first thing Donghyuck does is to throw his luggage into a far corner of the room and flop down on the bed. “That’s my bed!” Doyoung protests.

“Well, I don’t see your name on it.” Donghyuck says childishly. “Besides, you know I’m scared of sleeping next to the door.” 

“But I said I wanted the bed by the window!” Doyoung huffs, and Donghyuck rolls over to stick out his tongue at Doyoung before rolling back around, pulling the covers over his head. “Goodnight, hyung,” He says, and Doyoung says nothing as he settles down on the bed.

-

“Donghyuck.” Someone hisses. He ignores it. “Lee Donghyuck!” The person pulls his ear and he swats the hand away, kicking out blindly. “Don’t kick me, I’m Doyoung!” His brother says.

“Exactly,” Donghyuck mumbles, turning his head into the pillow. “There’s a cute guy,” Doyoung whispers, and Donghyuck shoots up. “Where?”

“I mean,” Doyoung corrects himself, “There’s a guy who I think you’d find cute.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so earlier?” Donghyuck shoves the blankets off his body and pulls a sweater over. “Does he live in this hotel? How old is he? Where is he from? What does he look like?” 

Doyoung locks the door behind them, walking ahead to press the button. “What?” Donghyuck says, stooping down to tie his shoelaces. His older brother places a finger on his lips, pointing towards their parents’ room just down the hall. “Oh,” Donghyuck whispers, and Doyoung rolls his eyes.

“Just follow me and stop asking questions.” Doyoung says at normal volume once the lift doors have closed. “You sure he’s cute?” Donghyuck combs his fingers through his hair, smoothing down the frizzy strands. Doyoung shrugs.

They step out into the night. The streetlights are all on, casting a harsh glow on the streets. There are still people out at this hour, laughing loudly. Some of them are alone, leaning heavily on the wall for support but most of them are with friends, arms slung over each others’ shoulders.

“What’s with them?” Donghyuck whispers. “They’re drunk.” Doyoung replies shortly, pulling Donghyuck down the road.

“Duh, I know,” Donghyuck rolls his eyes. “I mean, why are so many of them drunk? Is this common in Japan?” Doyoung points ahead, and he looks up.

About fifty metres away, there’s a brightly-lit unit in the middle of a row of shophouses. The windows are tinted black but neon lights dot the windows, flickering blue and pink. On the second level, red and white lights spell out a string of words. “I don’t read Japanese, hyung.” Donghyuck says.

“It’s a bar.”

“Are we going there?” Donghyuck says, eyes lighting up. He sees Doyoung’s mouth opening, forming a very definite no, and adds. “Please? I just turned legal! Wouldn’t you want me to go with someone safe rather than a bad influence?”

Doyoung pauses. “No?” He says unsurely.

“But hyung!” Donghyuck whines, tugging his sleeve. “Don’t you want to meet my—I mean the cute guy?” Doyoung says, and it’s enough to shut him up.

But not for long. “How long more?” Donghyuck says after five minutes of walking. “We’re here.” Doyoung says, and they turn the corner of the street.

In front of them is a Family Mart. Doyoung pushes open the door, the light from the store flooding the pavement. “Did you lie to me just because you were hungry and wanted food?” Donghyuck gasps incredulously.

“Maybe!” His brother shrugs, already walking down the aisle. “I’m going back!” Donghyuck calls, crossing his arms grumpily. Some kind of older sibling, he complains mentally, turning around to face the exit. The clock on the wall reads 3 in the morning, and he sighs.

“I’m really leaving!” Donghyuck says louder, and Doyoung hums from behind a rack of instant noodles. “Fine.” He mutters, pushing the door open. He steps out and immediately runs into a chest. The person’s arms shoot out to catch him, but he trips over their shoes and falls anyway. His elbows meet the rough sidewalk first, and he cries out, pain shooting up his arm. Someone shouts in alarm, and there’s a pair of hands under his arms, pulling him up clumsily.

“Don’t pull me!” He yelps, pushing the person away in shock. He stumbles to his feet, brushing the gravel and dirt off his clothes. The person says something another language, voice rushed. “What?” Donghyuck says. 

“Sorry! Oh no, you’re bleeding. I’m so so sorry!” The person says in Korean, his words a little slurred. 

Donghyuck looks up for the first time, but only sees a green sweater. Woah, he’s tall is the first thing that goes through his mind. Tilting his head up, he’s met with a pair of worried eyes staring back at him. “I’m sorry! Do you need band-aids or anything?” The boy continues, hands outstretched uselessly.

“It’s alright,” Donghyuck pauses. “Yukhei! I’m Yukhei.” Yukhei runs a hand through his hair, brown strands flopping over his forehead. “There’s no need. It’s just a scrape.” Donghyuck says.

Doyoung chooses this exact moment to come running out of the store, plastic bags in hand. “Lee Donghyuck!” He shouts, coming to a stop beside Donghyuck. He pulls Donghyuck towards him gently and inspects the scrapes on his elbows, and looks at Yukhei. 

“Sorry! We ran into each other outside the store—it was an accident!” Yukhei rushes out. Donghyuck looks from Doyoung and back to Yukhei, and he admits that his brother can be terrifying when he wants to be.

“Hyung, we ran into each other. It’s not his fault.” Donghyuck reassures him, and Doyoung’s glare softens. “You sure you’re alright?” 

“Yes,” Donghyuck says out loud, then leans in to whisper into his brother’s ear. “But he’s really handsome.”

Doyoung sighs, and looks back to Yukhei. “Sorry about all this. We’re going to go now.”

Yukhei nods mutely. See you! Donghyuck mouths at Yukhei and waves, and the boy waves back, smiling.

They walk for a while, and Donghyuck turns around every few seconds to check if anyone’s following them. “What are you doing?” Doyoung asks, sounding almost genuinely interested. “Checking to see if anyone’s following us back to the hotel.” Donghyuck replies seriously.

His brother sighs something that sounds suspiciously like why did I even bother asking and Donghyuck stops being paranoid once they reach the brighter-lit area. “I guess you didn’t lie about the cute guy.” He says offhandedly.

“So desperate.” Doyoung mumbles. “You bitter, hyung?” Donghyuck says smugly.

“Do you even know his name?” Doyoung shoots back. 

Donghyuck actually stops walking for a moment to glare at Doyoung. “His name is Yukhei! And,” He pauses to think. “And?” Doyoung prompts him. 

“And we’ll be meeting again sooner than you think.” Donghyuck says confidently. Doyoung scoffs, but remains silent.

-

For all the bluster Donghyuck puts into his words and actions, he doesn’t mean most of them. In fact, he forgets about most of the empty threats he promises to his friends. Yukhei barely crosses his mind during the next few days, he’s too busy eating anything he gets his hands on and annoying his parents and brother. So much so that his parents actually throw him out of the hotel, handing him money and telling him to go off on his own.

“But I can’t speak Japanese!” He protests. “We need our alone time, Hyuck.” His mother says, and his father looks torn between laughing and shoving Donghyuck out of the hotel. “Shouldn’t Doyoung hyung come with me, at least? He’s fluent in Japanese.” He whines.

“I think you’ve reached your daily quota of annoying your brother.” His father chuckles, and points Donghyuck towards the lift lobby. “Be back back for dinner!” His parents call as the lift doors close in front of Donghyuck.

He unclenches his fist and a couple of notes stare back at him. Upon counting, he realises that his parents have given him 3 thousand yen—just enough to buy what he’d wanted to buy on the way back.

Humming happily, he skips down the street. There are significantly less drunk people on the streets today, likely due to the fact that it’s a weekday and the bar closed early. Thankfully, the store he’d been eyeing before is still open.

He steps inside, and the bell jingles. The person manning the cash register is a Japanese native, skin almost unhealthily pale and dark shadows circling his eyes. “Irasshaimase.” The boy mumbles. Donghyuck nods back, and heads straight to the section he came for. 

A vast array of webtoon merchandise line the shelves. They’re sorted by alphabetical order, and Donghyuck goes straight to the ‘L’ section. He scans the shelves, but the merchandise on this side end at the ‘J’ section. Sighing, he steps out of the row and walks to the other side when—

“Hey! It’s you!” Someone says, and Donghyuck looks up. It’s the boy from the other day, and Donghyuck tries to recall his name. Yukhei, his brain supplies helpfully. The cute one who you ran into and fell over right in front of him. “Oh, hi!” Donghyuck smiles, but cringes internally at the embarrassing memory.

“You remember me?” Yukhei asks, amazed. “Of course I do, Yukhei.” Donghyuck snorts, and peers past him at the row of merchandise. “Oh, are you here for webtoon merch too?” Yukhei asks.

“Too?” Donghyuck questions. He’s kind of curious but mostly he just wants Yukhei to move aside so he can get to the shelves. “Yes! I came here because China barely has anything other than low quality stickers.” Yukhei beams.

“Oh, you’re from China? Your Korean is pretty good, though.” Donghyuck comments, but he means it. “That’s because my brother’s Korean so he forces me to speak in Korean to him.” Yukhei huffs, but he’s still smiling. “You’re Chinese but he’s Korean?” Donghyuck says doubtfully.

“He was adopted even before I turned a year old,” Yukhei says, and Donghyuck would really stay and listen but he’s kind of busy right now.

“Oh, I see.” He says. “But I really need to get to the merchandise, you know?” 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Yukhei smiles, shifting aside. Donghyuck smiles at him. He’s slow, but it’s kind of endearing. Donghyuck goes straight to the ‘L’ section and immediately spots the ‘Lookism’ section. There’s fan posters and keyrings but he doesn’t see what he’s looking for.

“What are you trying to find?” Yukhei asks, and Donghyuck jumps. Yukhei’s peering over his shoulder, hair brushing Donghyuck’s ear. “Uh,” Donghyuck says, moving away slightly. It wasn’t like he minded the physical contact—but wasn’t it a bit too early to get into each others’ personal space? “Oh, sorry!” Yukhei apologises hastily.

“Anyway, I’m trying to find the—you know, the,” Donghyuck searches for the word. “The Lookism character doll? I forgot what it’s called.”

“Oh, you mean the figurine!” Yukhei beams, and stretches his hand out, showing Donghyuck his palm. “I took the Jay one. You can find the other characters on the rack just below.”

Donghyuck narrows his eyes at the Jay figurine, then back at the shelf. There’s only Daniel and Vasco left on the shelves, and he came here specifically for that limited edition Jay figurine. “Did you take the last one?” Donghyuck blurts out. In his mind, he can vaguely hear Doyoung scolding him for being too blunt.

Yukhei looks between the shelf and the blonde figurine in his hand. “Oh!” He exclaims. “I guess I did.”

Donghyuck’s eye twitches, partly at a loss of what to do and partly amused but mostly disappointed. “Ah, I see.” He mumbles. It’s not as if the new stock would take very long to arrive. He’ll probably come back just before he leaves Japan to check for the figurine. It’s not reasonable to get be sad over this, he reminds himself.

He looks up, but Yukhei is gone. The bell jingles, and the door shuts. 

“Well, there my Jay figurine goes. Right out of the door,” He says out loud, and someone peers around the shelves. “Okay?” The tired boy from the cash register asks, English clipped and short. Donghyuck nods, mouth twisting. “How long?” He points at the rack of merchandise, and the empty gap between Daniel and Vasco’s figurines.

“Jay?” The boy asks. Donghyuck nods. He holds up 5 fingers. “5 weeks?” Donghyuck checks. The boy gives him a thumbs up. 

Donghyuck sighs. He’s leaving Japan in a month. “Thank you.” He says anyway, and the boy dips his head and disappears behind the shelves. 

Guess I’ll just spend this on food, Donghyuck thinks.

-

“Where is it?” Doyoung asks Donghyuck the next day when they’re down at the breakfast hall. “What?” He mumbles with his mouth full of food, still slightly bitter about last night. “Your weeb figurine.”

“It’s a Korean webtoon, so you’re invalid. And also, remember the boy who knocked me over the other night?” At Doyoung’s blank stare, he elaborates, “You know, the cute one? Yeah, he took the last Jay figurine.” 

“Did you ask for the next batch of—” 

Donghyuck sighs. “Yes. The next shipment is only coming after we leave Japan.”

Doyoung frowns. “That’s too bad.” Donghyuck shrugs and continues eating. The table is silent for a while, punctuated only with the sounds of chewing and forks scraping against the plates. 

“We’re leaving Osaka later in the afternoon, by the way. We’re going to Hakone.” Doyoung informs him, tossing the itinerary at him. Donghyuck barely catches it. “Don’t leave stains on it!” Doyoung snaps, and Donghyuck very deliberately curls his greasy fingers around the paper. Doyoung winces and looks away.

-

He spends the 2 hours on the Shinkansen staring out of the window, watching as the landscape rapidly changes from wide fields to falling snow, the scenery whizzing past them. “It’s so fast,” Donghyuck marvels, and Doyoung sucks in a deep breath. “If I have to hear you say one more word about how fast the train is, I will personally throw you out of the train. Then you can experience first-hand how fast it actually is.”

Donghyuck pouts but falls silent, but not for long. “Hyung, what if I see Yukhei in Hakone? Should I assault him and steal the Jay figurine?” He asks. “Sure,” Doyoung mumbles, already half-asleep. 

-

“It’s you again!” Donghyuck accidentally says too loudly, and multiple heads turn to look at him. Doyoung smacks a hand over his mouth and smile apologetically at the passer bys. Yukhei laughs, loud and gentle. “It’s me.”

Donghyuck licks Doyoung’s hand and his brother stifles a shriek, jumping away. “Disgusting,” He mutters, wiping the spit off on Donghyuck’s jacket. 

“Doyoung hyung, this is Yukhei. We keep running into each other,” Donghyuck lowers his voice. “It’s almost like he’s stalking me.” Doyoung snorts. “Don’t think so highly of yourself, brat.”

“Hi! This is my brother, Taeyong.” Yukhei introduces, and an older boy with bright-red hair looks up, hand resting on the handle of his suitcase. “Hello, you must be Donghyuck!” Taeyong smiles kindly, and Donghyuck’s eyes go straight to the slit in his eyebrow. He immediately labels Taeyong as ‘cool’. 

“And you’re…?” Taeyong switches his attention to Doyoung, who’s staring at Taeyong. “Taeyong,” Doyoung stammers, and Donghyuck actually laughs out loud. 

“What a fool.” He leans in to whisper to Yukhei, and the taller boy squints at them. “What’s up with him?” He asks. Donghyuck shushes him. Just listen, he mouths. 

Taeyong blinks. “Sorry?”

“Ah, I mean—I’m Doyoung.” He stutters, and Donghyuck stifles another giggle as he looks blankly at the hand Taeyong offers. Taeyong retracts his hand sheepishly, hand coming up to rub the back of his neck.

Donghyuck’s drawn away from the two older males by Yukhei tapping his shoulder. “Hyuck—is it alright if I call you that?” Yukhei asks. “Sure, but only if you give me a nickname to call you.” Donghyuck shrugs.

Yukhei flushes, surprise coloring his cheeks. “You can call me Xuxi, I guess.” He mumbles.

“Where did that name come from?” Donghyuck asks with genuine curiosity. “It’s the Chinese pronunciation of my name,” Yukhei says, and Donghyuck finds himself nodding. 

“I guess I have three names for you now. Yukhei, Xuxi, and figurine stealer.” Donghyuck tacks on the last one as a joke, but the last thing he expects is for Yukhei to smile. “I almost forgot! Here,” He swings his backpack off one shoulder and digs into it, pulling out a small box, “This is for you.”

Donghyuck takes the box from him carefully, pulling off the tape around the edges and cracking the box open. “I felt really bad for taking the last one, and I saw this in another shop on the way back to the hotel the other day, so I just bought it.” Yukhei explains, watching Donghyuck’s reaction.

Donghyuck picks up the figurine and runs a thumb over it, and then looks up at Yukhei, who’s avoiding his gaze. “Hey.” Donghyuck says. Yukhei doesn’t respond.

“Xuxi!” Donghyuck says, and Yukhei meets his eyes, cheeks pink. “Thanks. You didn’t have to buy this for me, you know.” 

“It’s not like I felt the need to do it. It’s just—” Yukhei trails off and mumbles something unintelligible under his breath, coughing.

“Donghyuck!” Doyoung calls, and he turns. Taeyong and Doyoung have finally broken the awkwardness between the both of them, and Donghyuck almost rolls his eyes when he sees Doyoung trying his best to not look like a mess in front of Taeyong. “Let’s go! Mum and Dad are already waiting.” He says something to Taeyong that makes the other boy laugh, and Donghyuck really rolls his eyes this time.

Picking up his bag, Donghyuck gives Yukhei a pat on the back. “Tell me how I can repay you for this, okay? See you around!” He says, and Yukhei starts to shake his head, but Donghyuck cuts him off. “I’m not planning on paying as in financially paying you back. I’m not even rich enough for that. Let’s see each other around soon!” He says, and walks towards Doyoung.

“Okay, Hyuck!” Yukhei calls after him, and Donghyuck waves over his shoulder without turning around.

-

“Out of genuine concern for my little brother’s friendships, when are you going to be seeing Yukhei again?” Doyoung asks that night, sprawled out on the bed opposite Donghyuck’s. “You mean, out of genuine love for Taeyong?” Donghyuck replies, voice muffled by the pillow over his face.

“That too.” Doyoung says shamelessly, and Donghyuck wonders if love really does make you this brave. “I don’t know, our meetings are never planned. But we’re in the same city, so probably soon?”

Doyoung rolls over, propping his head to his hands. “Would it be romantic to kiss him on top of Mount Fuji?” He wonders out loud. “Sure, but only if you don’t pass out after the first ten minutes of climbing.” Donghyuck reassures his older brother, snickering. Doyoung is too far gone to hear him.

-

Turns out Doyoung doesn’t have to wait that long to see Taeyong again. They’re queuing up for cable car tickets up Mount Fuji while their parents are off at some old-people spa. Donghyuck had stubbornly insisted on wearing his favourite orange jacket over a thin white shirt, and he regrets the decision terribly. 

It’s 8 degrees outside and even the trees are shivering, shaking from the force of the blowing wind. Donghyuck shoves his hands into the tiny pockets of his jacket and shuffles closer to Doyoung. 

Doyoung edges away. “I’m cold, hyung!” Donghyuck whines. “You didn’t want to wear your winter coat out because it didn’t look cool. That’s not my problem.” Doyoung says unsympathetically, handing over the money for entry tickets at the front of the queue.

Donghyuck pouts all the way up to the entrance of the cable car, and immediately does a double take when he sees the passengers of the cable car. “You!” Donghyuck and Yukhei gasp almost simultaneously. Donghyuck breaks into a wide grin, walking towards the brothers. Doyoung pulls the door of the cable car close and follows after him.

“So, we meet again,” Donghyuck hears Taeyong say to Doyoung, and Doyoung laughs as if Taeyong just told the funniest joke in the universe. “I finally understand why they act this way around each other!” Yukhei says.

“You mean you didn’t before?” Donghyuck scoffs disbelievingly, and Yukhei has the grace to look embarrassed. 

“Donghyuck!” Doyoung calls in the tone he uses while talking to Donghyuck in front of other people. “Taeyong and Yukhei are planning to go to the same restaurant as us! Isn’t it such a coincidence, Yukhei?” He says, smiling innocently. Yukhei doesn’t say anything for a while, staring dumbly at the two older boys. 

When Yukhei is silent for a little too long to be socially acceptable, Doyoung’s smile falters a little. Donghyuck elbows Yukhei, albeit a little too hard. Yukhei doubles over, clutching at his stomach, and Donghyuck nudges Yukhei’s foot with less force.

“Yes!” Yukhei coughs out. “We were thinking—would you mind if the four of us go together?” Taeyong asks.

Donghyuck and Yukhei nod together. Taeyong beams brightly, and they turn back to each other. Yukhei lets out a relieved sigh. “It felt like I was going to die from nervousness,” He mutters.

“Why?” Donghyuck asks. “I don’t know. It just felt like I had to impress your brother or something.” Yukhei confesses.

“He loves Taeyong so by extension, he’ll love you as well. Actually, if you just talk about Doyoung to Taeyong I think hyung would actually cry,” Donghyuck laughs. “You’re so cute, Xuxi.”

Yukhei turns to face outside the cable car hurriedly, and Donghyuck sees the tips of his ears pinking. “Really?” He mumbles. “Yes, really.” Donghyuck says, standing beside Yukhei. They fall silent, and when Donghyuck looks at Yukhei, the other boy is smiling down at the floor, cheeks red. 

“You’re like a overgrown puppy! So cute,” Donghyuck coos, pinching Yukhei’s cheeks. He flushes even more and pushes Donghyuck’s hands away from his cheeks. “Stop it.” He says, but continues smiling. 

-

They bump into each other far too many times to be called coincidences. Doyoung calls it ‘fate’, Donghyuck calls it ‘stalking’. They’ve left Hakone, but Doyoung manages to convince their parents to change their travel plans from Nagasaki to Sapporo. 

‘Coincidentally’, they also meet Taeyong and Yukhei on the exact same train carriage heading to Sapporo, and Doyoung pushes Donghyuck out of his seat to make space for Taeyong.

“I’ve been chased away,” Donghyuck says sadly, “so I guess it’s just you and me, then.” He sits down next to Yukhei with a sigh and the other boy gladly moves aside to make space for him.

“You mean, you’ve been upgraded.” Yukhei jokes. “Who knew you had it in you to be so savage, Xuxi?” Donghyuck gasps, and they spend the rest of the trip making jokes at their brothers’ expense.

-

Three knocks on the door, and Donghyuck jolts awake, eyes zeroing in on the flimsy sliding door. The dim light from the hallway lights up a shadow outside him and Doyoung’s room, and he freezes.

“Hyung,” Donghyuck whispers as softly as he can. There’s no reply. Slowly, he crawls over to the other side of the room, but there’s no one under the blankets. He pokes around, but Doyoung isn’t in the room. The shadow outside knocks on his room again, this time sharper and more urgently.

Donghyuck’s breath catches in his throat, and he wonders if he can make it out alive if he jumps out of the window now. He starts inching away from the door and towards the window.

“Hyuck!” The shadow hisses, and Donghyuck lets out a huge breath of relief.

He stands up and brisk-walks over to the door, pulling it open. Yukhei stumbles and falls inside, clearly not expecting the door to open so quickly. “You idiot!” Donghyuck scolds the mess of limbs on the floor. “I almost had a heart attack! I thought you were a serial killer or something.” He says, but the anger floods out of him once he sees Yukhei lift up his head, eyes shining.

“Sorry—but you’d never guess what I found!” He says. “What?” Donghyuck asks, but Yukhei simply stands up, pulling Donghyuck out of the room. “Just follow me.” He says.

“This better be worth waking me up,” Donghyuck warns, but lets himself be dragged along.

“How’d you get into the guesthouse anyway?” Donghyuck says, rubbing his eyes. “Stupid, I live on the floor below you.” Yukhei says, pushing open the door. A gust of cold air hits him right in the face and he blinks, eyes stinging. 

“It’s cold,” Donghyuck whines, but Yukhei doesn’t stop pulling him, walking forward determinedly. “Xuxi!” He pouts, tugging on his hand.

“Sorry, what did you say?” Yukhei stops and turns around, as if it was the first time he’d heard Donghyuck say that. “Did you not hear me?” Donghyuck says. He frowns apologetically. “I was thinking of the shortest route to get to the place we’re going.”

“I said, I’m cold!” Donghyuck repeats, and pushes up the sleeves of his thin hoodie to show the gooseflesh on his skin just for emphasis. 

“That’s your problem for not packing a proper winter coat.” Yukhei scoffs, and Donghyuck wondered where the shy, flustered boy from the first few times they met went to. “But I’m cold now,” He says, dragging out the ‘o’ and looking up at Yukhei pleadingly. 

Yukhei turns back around and tightens his grip on Donghyuck’s fingers. “Walk faster, and we’ll be able to get there faster!” He suggests, and Donghyuck can see the corners of his lips twitching upwards.

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Donghyuck grumbles, but quickens his pace so that he’s walking right beside the taller boy. 

They walk in companionable silence for a while, occasionally kicking at the dirty white slush along the pavement. Yukhei aims at the particularly large pile of snow along the road, and kicks it with bit too much force. 

Half of it lands on Donghyuck, the greyish-white watery flakes running down his hair and on his hoodie. He stands frozen in the middle of the road, stunned. A hand comes up to feel his hair and when he feels the droplets of water in his hair, Donghyuck turns to Yukhei. “You’re so dead, Wong Yukhei.”

“What’re you gonna do to me? Kick my shins?” Yukhei says mockingly, tilting his head up so that he’s staring down at Donghyuck. “I’m going to kill you!” Donghyuck screeches.

Yukhei has some sense to dodge when Donghyuck comes running full-speed at him, but Donghyuck turns back just in time to shove Yukhei in the chest. With a scream, Yukhei trips and falls backwards, but not before grabbing onto Donghyuck.

They fall back-first onto the nearest pile of snow, which doesn’t really serve well as a cushion for their fall. Donghyuck lands on top of Yukhei, legs tangled and hands grabbing his upper arms.

“You’re…so…heavy!” Yukhei grunts, shoving Donghyuck off him. He rolls off and onto the gravel road with a loud thump. They lie on the side of the deserted road, chests heaving with exertion. They’re half buried in a pile of dirty snow, but Donghyuck can’t really find it in himself to care. “That’s your fault for kicking snow at me.”

“Well, we’re both lying in a big pile of snow right now anyway so wasn’t that kind of counterintuitive?” Yukhei says, looking almost proud of his statement.

“Wow, big words coming from a man who screamed when he fell. I think you almost burst my eardrums.” Donghyuck retorts, rolling over to face Yukhei.

Yukhei pushes himself off the ground and offers a hand to Donghyuck. “We still have to go to the cool place I found. You’re not getting out of that!” He warns Donghyuck, shaking his finger at him.

“Damn, and I thought I was doing a great job at distracting you,” Donghyuck jokes, but takes Yukhei’s hand in his.

They continue walking. Soon enough, they reach a more deserted part of town—where there’s barely any streetlights. But contrary to Donghyuck’s expectations, it’s not creepy. Rather, it’s peaceful, with branches shaking gently in the wind and the occasional chirp of cicadas.

“We’re not there yet, don’t look so amazed,” Yukhei says, and Donghyuck quickly clamps his mouth shut. “I’m not.” Donghyuck protests, but it’s weak because this place is beautiful. He wonders how much more beautiful the place Yukhei had in mind was.

They walk for a little while more, and there’s nothing around them except trees and flower petals scattered on the road. “How long more?” Donghyuck asks, and Yukhei points ahead. He follows his finger, and in the near distance is a set of stone steps, large and weathered with age.

Donghyuck looks up, and the steps seem to extend forever. “I don’t mean to be whiny, but—we’re climbing all the way up that?”

“It’ll be worth it,” Yukhei says, and they continue walking towards it. At the base of the steps, Donghyuck stops. “Are we really going to climb all the way up? We might as well climb up Mount Fuji!” He says.

“Please? We’ve already walked so far,” Yukhei says, tugging lightly on Donghyuck’s sleeve. “Exactly! We’ve walked so much, and this is just—I’m too weak for this.” Donghyuck says resolutely.

Yukhei steps off the first stone step and faces Donghyuck. “Just this once. For me?” Yukhei pleads, and Donghyuck’s heart rate stutters at the sincere look in his eyes. “Fine, but you owe me a favour after this, loser.” Donghyuck mutters, looking away.

“Yes!” Yukhei says triumphantly, turning back and pulling Donghyuck up the steps.

-

For the first twenty steps, Donghyuck was still okay. Hang in there, Hyuck. He tells himself firmly, despite his legs shaking from the exertion. But on the twenty-first step, he stops. “I’m done.” Donghyuck announces. “We’re almost at the top!” Yukhei says encouragingly.

Looking up, he still can’t see the top of the steps. “Does this lead to Heaven or something? Why is it so high up?” He complains, but continues.

“It really is going to be worth it.” Yukhei promises. “It better be,” Donghyuck says under his breath. 

“I heard that!” Yukhei says from five steps above. “It was meant for you to hear!” Donghyuck says.

-

At the thousand-somethingth step, his legs give out and Donghyuck collapses against the steps. “I’m going to jump off if we have to take one more step.” He says, leaning against the cool stone. “We’re almost there! Look, you can see the top already!” Yukhei says.

“Really? Because I could have sworn you said that before.” Donghyuck quips.

He hears light footsteps and looks up to see Yukhei crouching. “What are you doing?” Donghyuck asks, poking his back. “Well, you’re tired so I guess I’ll have to carry you up?” He says, but phrases it like a question.

“No.” Donghyuck refuses. “Why? I don’t mind.” Yukhei says, still crouching. 

“I’m too heavy. Your back will break before we even take one step.” Donghyuck insists. “I’m a basketball player, Hyuck. I carry my two-hundred-pound teammate on my back for warm-ups every training.” Yukhei insists.

“Are you showing off?” Donghyuck scoffs. “Maybe. Are you going to get on?” Yukhei says. 

Donghyuck holds a hand out. “I can’t get off the ground. You have to pull me up,” He says smugly, but to his surprise, Yukhei does. He grabs Donghyuck hand and him up, and in his shock, lets Yukhei carry him onto his back. “Hey!” He yelps, hitting him on the back.

“It’s fine, we’re almost at the top anyway.” Yukhei says, not even sounding one bit tired. “Yeah, you’ve been saying that for the past hour but I still can’t see the top at all.” Donghyuck retorts, but sighs in relief at the thought of not having to climb anymore.

“You’ll see it soon.” Is all that Yukhei chooses to say, and continues climbing up the steps. 

“Aren’t you tired?” Donghyuck asks after they’ve climbed for five minutes and he can finally see the top of the steps. It’s too high up for him to see what’s beyond it. “You’re not heavy.” Yukhei assures.

Donghyuck pinches his ear and Yukhei yelps, his grip on Donghyuck’s legs slipping. “Hey, don’t lie!” Donghyuck says disapprovingly. 

“I’m not.” Yukhei huffs. “See? You’re out of breath! So I am heavy.” Donghyuck mutters.

“That’s not it,” Yukhei frowns, and Donghyuck raises an eyebrow. “Never mind.” He says, looking away.

-

Once they’ve taken the last step up, Donghyuck pokes Yukhei’s side and drops to the ground. “I can finally walk on my own two legs again!” He announces loudly. “You literally were complaining about having to walk,” Yukhei begins, but Donghyuck cuts him off. “Anyway, what did you have to show me?”

Yukhei places both hands on Donghyuck’s shoulders and turns him around gently. “Look.” He points, and Donghyuck looks up.

They’re on the top of a very high hill. The summit of the hill itself couldn’t be very big—maybe around the size of an Olympic pool? The grass at his feet is covered in white, and as he looks around, he realises that there’s a thin layer of snow covering the ground around him. It’s colder up here, not the freezing kind, but the gentle, calm kind of frigidity in the air. “Woah,” He breathes out.

“Look down.” Yukhei says softly. Below them is the whole view of Lake Kawaguchi, and in the distance, the silhouette of Mount Fuji. It’s nighttime, but they’re so high up that they can actually see the stars in the sky, with no industrial smog blocking them.

The moon casts a dim glow on everything around them, reflecting off the surface of the lake. It’s too late for any trees to bloom in winter, and the bare trees by the lake are highlighted by the glow of the moon.

“How did you find this place?” Donghyuck says in awe, hands blindly searching for Yukhei’s. It’s beautiful, but it’s also a long way from ground and Donghyuck would rather not fall off the hill. He finds Yukhei’s fingers, and grasps them firmly.

Yukhei inhales sharply, and there’s a momentary pause before he replies. “Online websites told me there’d be good views from on top of any high place above the lake.”

“Good? Yukhei, this is beautiful.” Donghyuck whispers, afraid to break the serenity of the atmosphere. He hears Yukhei mumble something under his breath. “Sorry?”

“Nothing.” Yukhei clears his throat, and sits down abruptly on the ground, pulling Donghyuck down with him. “Let’s stay here for a while.”

Donghyuck nods, following suit. He crosses his legs under him, feeling the chill seep past his jeans. They sit like that for a while, watching the cloudless sky. Then, “Yukhei, I’m cold.” He says, and Yukhei turns to stare at him in disbelief. “Out of all the things you could say, you say that you’re cold?” Yukhei says. “But I really am.” Donghyuck says.

Yukhei tilts his body to face Donghyuck, and unfolds his arms. “What?” Donghyuck says dumbly. The dull flush on Yukhei’s cheeks is visible even in the dim lighting. “Aren’t you cold?” Yukhei mumbles.

Ah, Donghyuck thinks. He scoots closer to Yukhei, and the taller boy wraps his arms around Donghyuck’s shoulder, bringing them closer together until Donghyuck’s practically sitting in between Yukhei’s legs. He can’t exactly say he minds, though, because the other boy was the human equivalent of radiator.

“Hey,” Donghyuck says suddenly, a thought that had been buried at the back of his mind resurfacing.“Do you know today’s actually the winter solstice?”

“What’s that?” Yukhei asks. “It’s day with the shortest daytime and the longest night of the year, because the earth tilts away from the sun.” Donghyuck informs, then adds on, “Don’t they teach you that in school?” 

Yukhei laughs sheepishly. “But why all of a sudden?”

“Don’t tell my brother this or he’ll laugh at me, okay? But I’ve always found the winter solstice way more meaningful than the summer solstice. I mean, having such a short time in the sun and then followed by the longest period of darkness--doesn’t it make you treasure the daylight more?” Donghyuck says.

There’s a brief silence, and Donghyuck starts to wonder if he should have said all that so openly. “I guess that kind of makes sense.” Yukhei ponders. “Right!” Donghyuck exclaims.

“Because of that, I’ve always wanted to spend a winter solstice with someone I love. And even if the night spent apart is long, that the next morning will always arrive.” Donghyuck sighs. “I never pegged you as a romanticist,” Yukhei jokes, and Donghyuck laughs. “I guess it’s just wishful thinking.” He murmurs.

 

“It’s not.” Yukhei assures him. Donghyuck wonders when he’ll find the right person to spend the winter solstice with. Or if he’s already found the person but just doesn’t know it.

He sighs contentedly, leaning back onto Yukhei’s shoulder. He doesn’t mean to, but it’s comfortable in Yukhei’s embrace and so he closes his eyes, and drifts off.

-

When Donghyuck wakes up, he expects to still be on the top of the hill. There’s a cold draft in the air and he groans at the thought of having to climb down the hill. Maybe if he begs enough, Yukhei will carry him down, he thinks.

“Hyuckie,” Someone (Yukhei, presumably) whispers. “Tired.” Donghyuck mumbles, throwing his arm over his face.

“You really have to wake up now, Hyuck.” Yukhei pulls the blanket off him and the cold air hits him full-blast—wait, blanket?

Donghyuck sits up abruptly, blinking. He’s not on the hill, he realises. They’re back in the guesthouse, in a room that looks almost exactly similar to his own room except there’s clothes scattered all around the floor. “Where are we?” Donghyuck says, voice muffled by sleep.

“My room. You fell asleep up there and I brought you back.” Yukhei says, having given up on folding the blanket, throws the blanket to one side. “You carried me down the entire way?” Donghyuck asks incredulously.

“Yes, but that’s not the point. Taeyong texted me a while ago, and I think your brother’s going to send out a search party for you if you don’t leave soon.” Yukhei says nervously, eyes darting to the sliding door.

Donghyuck’s eyes widen and he looks at the time on his watch. 10 in the morning. “Oh, shit!” He swears, pushing the mattress aside. “Thanks, Yukhei!” He calls out, running towards the door.

But before he can open it, someone else pulls it open from the outside. “Lee Donghyuck!” He hears his brother’s voice before he sees him. “Shit.” He curses, and turns around to Yukhei in panic. Yukhei looks back at him, slight fear reflecting in his eyes. 

“Why are you here? With him? Were you here all night?” Doyoung grabs Donghyuck’s sleeve. “Lee Donghyuck, you are so dead.” Doyoung hisses, glaring at Donghyuck.

“And you!” Doyoung lets go of his sleeve to point furiously at Yukhei, who’s frozen on the floor next to the mattress. “Just because you’ve become all touchy with my younger brother doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. I’m telling you, when Taeyong comes, he will kill you for going missing the entire night.” Doyoung shoots one last glare at Yukhei and drags Donghyuck out of the room, slamming the sliding door shut.

“Hyung, I—”

“Save it for when you face our parents, Donghyuck.” Doyoung doesn’t turn around while talking, and Donghyuck prays to whatever gods that are out there that he doesn’t die today.

-

Thankfully, both of them survive. At least, physically. Mentally? Maybe not so much. Doyoung and Taeyong had forced them to listen to a half-hour lecture on the importance of commitment and mutual consent in a relationship. Donghyuck swears he’ll never look at Taeyong in the same way ever again.

“I have five days left in Japan, you know?” Donghyuck remarks as they’re queuing for rides in Disneyland. Their parents had chosen to stay in the hotel, and Doyoung and Taeyong claim they’re too old for amusement parks.

“Oh.” Yukhei goes silent for a while. “I have a week left.” 

“Are you going back to China after this?” Donghyuck asks. “Yeah, but Taeyong is going directly to Korea because of his university term.” Yukhei replies, and they shuffle forward as the queue starts moving.

“Good for Taeyong and Doyoung, I guess.” Donghyuck says, and they fall into a thoughtful silence. It’s the quietest it’s been between them since they’ve met, and Donghyuck isn’t sure if he likes it.

And not ever seeing Yukhei again? Donghyuck’s definitely sure he hates that thought. The past two weeks they spent together passed all too quickly, and he kind of doesn’t want to leave Japan anymore.

Luckily, Yukhei brings it up first. “Will we ever…will we ever meet again?” He asks. Donghyuck hesitates, but says, “If you want to.” He falters, and they’re called up to the platform of the roller coaster before Yukhei can even react. 

Donghyuck pulls the safety belt on, but it’s stuck. He pulls at it harder, but it doesn’t come down. He looks over to see the other passengers with their belt strapped over their chest and waist, and almost starts to panic. “Did you just get the belt stuck?” Yukhei laughs from on his left.

“Don’t laugh at me, you ass! Help me out here.” Donghyuck says hurriedly, fingers yanking at the belt. Yukhei reaches over to maneuver the belt out of the corner of the seat and pulls it over Donghyuck efficiently. He looks up after fastening the belt down, and laughs. “Thanks, I guess.” Donghyuck mutters, and the roller coaster cart starts moving.

Donghyuck is screaming even before the roller coaster drops, but Yukhei isn’t much better. His grip on the handlebars turns his knuckles white, and when Donghyuck squints at him through his fringe, Yukhei’s mouth is open in a silent scream. First time I’ve seen him not screaming but he’s cute anyway, he thinks, right before the roller coaster drops.

All thoughts of Yukhei leave his mind as the cart goes into a steep drop, and he feels his stomach lurch as they enter the upside-down loop, whizzing past a building too close for comfort. 

At the top of the last drop, Yukhei breaks out of his stupor to yell out Donghyuck’s name. “Lee Donghyuck!” He screams. “What?” Donghyuck screams back, the wind carrying their voices away.

“Yes!” Yukhei shouts. “Yes what?” Donghyuck yells confusedly. 

“Yes, I want to see you again even after we leave!” Yukhei manages to yell out before the roller coaster accelerates into a sharp dive. 

“Me too,” Donghyuck say stupidly after they’ve gotten off the roller coaster, faces flushed from exertion. Yukhei grins back just as stupidly, and if Donghyuck’s beats a little faster, he doesn’t acknowledge it.

-

“Where’s Doyoung?” Donghyuck says immediately when they meet in the hallway of the guesthouse. “Where’s Taeyong?” Yukhei says at the same time. “They’re out together?” They gasp in unison.

“Wait, I think I know where they are.” Yukhei says slowly, and Donghyuck can almost see the gears spinning in his head. “Ah, I know! Follow me.” Yukhei says triumphantly, and Donghyuck has no choice but to follow him.

After five minutes of walking in puddles of half-melted snow, Donghyuck asks, “Are you sure we’re not lost?” 

“You have so little faith in me!” Yukhei whines. “Yes, I do, actually. Remember the time you got lost in Disneyland and I had to announce over the intercom to look for you—” Donghyuck snickers, and Yukhei clears his throat exaggeratedly, effectively cutting him off.

“Anyway, we’re here!” Yukhei announces. Donghyuck looks up, and it’s the same bar with flickering neon lights and tinted black windows from their first day in Japan. “I’ve been here before!” Donghyuck says.

“You’ve been into a bar before?” Yukhei says unsurely. “No. Hyung and I walked past here but he didn’t allow me to enter,” Donghyuck adds on under his breath, “What a hypocrite.”

Yukhei frowns. “I’ve never been to a bar before either. Taeyong never lets me in,” Yukhei says. 

Donghyuck nudges him, grinning. “Well, I guess it’s both our first times going into a bar,” Donghyuck says. “What?” Yukhei says dumbly before Donghyuck hooks an arm through his, dragging him towards the bar.

“I don’t even have my identification card with me though!” Yukhei says in alarm, but Donghyuck has already set his mind on entering the bar. “Don’t be so loud! Anyway, we’re both look legal—actually, we’re both legal.” Donghyuck says cheerfully.

“I guess at least one of us looks legal,” Yukhei says under his breath, but Donghyuck hears it. “Shut up, you overly tall beanpole.” He says, but without any bite in his voice.

Yukhei holds his breath when they reach the entrance of the bar, but the bouncer lets them in without a second glance, and they push the tinted doors open.

Outside the bar, it had been relatively quiet, with the occasional passerby. But inside was a completely different atmosphere. Donghyuck’s hands clench Yukhei’s forearms tightly, the strobe lights making him dizzy. The deafening music coming from the speakers clash with the screams, and Donghyuck almost steps outside despite his original resolve.

“Oh, I see them!” Yukhei says, pointing. Donghyuck looks up and sees Doyoung and Taeyong slow-dancing in the middle of the crowd, while the rock music is blaring at full volume. On closer glance, their faces are both flushed and Donghyuck can already foresee Doyoung’s hungover whining the next morning.

They stare as Doyoung and Taeyong stumble over each other’s feet and Donghyuck holds his breath. “Watching them interact is like watching two single uncles talk,” Yukhei whispers into Donghyuck’s ear.

He laughs out loud when their foreheads bump together, and Taeyong stumbles backwards rubbing his head. Doyoung stands frozen on the spot, half-giggling and half looking like he wants to die from embarrassment.

“I think we’ve seen enough.” Yukhei announces, and pulls Donghyuck out. “Aw, and things were just starting to get heated up!” Donghyuck pouts.

“Let’s just…” Yukhei pauses and Donghyuck peers at him. The tips of his ears are once again red. “Let’s just go.” He says. 

Yukhei leads the way, and Donghyuck follows after him. “Where are we going?” He asks.

“You’ll see.” Yukhei doesn’t explain further. “Are you trying to be mysterious? You know, mysterious guys aren’t really attractive to me.” Donghyuck says teasingly. “I like good boys.” 

“Oh, we’re here!” Yukhei ignores Donghyuck’s previous statement. They’re at the convenience store where they first met. He stops abruptly, and Donghyuck runs straight into him.

He stumbles, and braces for the fall but it never comes. Yukhei has a hand under his back and an arm around his waist. “I never caught you the first time you fell, but now I have.” Yukhei says. Donghyuck actually stops breathing for a moment, heart stuttering.

“I guess you could say we’ve come full circle from the time we met three weeks ago.” Yukhei continues, a determined look in his eyes. “Stop it, Wong, you’re so—”

“Cheesy? Yes. But just for you.” Yukhei says. Donghyuck rolls his eyes, but it’s half-hearted because Yukhei’s face is waytoo close to his. I can’t handle this! Donghyuck’s brain screams at himself, and he’s aware he’s blushing just as hard, or maybe harder than Yukhei.

“There’s just one more thing to do.” Yukhei says, and he meets Donghyuck’s eyes. They’re even closer now, and Donghyuck feels Yukhei’s shallow breaths ruffle his hair. He leans down, and at that exact moment, Donghyuck realises what he’s going to do.

And then he does the stupidest thing possible. He claps a hand over Yukhei’s mouth, and says, “I don’t kiss before the first date!” 

Yukhei blinks at him, eyes owlishly wide. He says something, but it’s muffled by Donghyuck’s hand. Donghyuck removes his hand, and Yukhei says, “But we’ve already gone on so many dates! Don’t you remember up the hill? And Disneyland? And the green tea fields and the temple and the flower garden and—”

Donghyuck narrows his eyes. “Wait.” He says. “Those were dates?”

Yukhei finally drops his tough-guy act, lips pulling down into a pout. “Yes, of course! I—we were literally cuddling on the hill! And we took couple pictures!” He whines.

“Oh.” Donghyuck mumbles. “I guess you can kiss me.”

Smiling, Yukhei leans down once more, and Donghyuck doesn’t stop him this time.

-

Donghyuck grips the handle of his luggage tightly, knuckles turning white. The plane is already here, and Doyoung and his parents have already entered the boarding gate. Donghyuck stands right outside the security check, glancing from the clock on the wall to his phone. The last text from Yukhei had been three hours ago, with Donghyuck telling him when his flight was leaving and Yukhei responding with a thumbs-up emoji.

But it’s ten minutes past said time, and Yukhei still isn’t here. Taeyong had left five minutes ago after saying bye to Doyoung, but hadn’t told him where Yukhei was.

“Please,” Donghyuck mutters under his breath, tapping on the handle nervously. What if Yukhei had decided not to come? Was this a sign that he didn’t want to see Donghyuck again? What if he—

Donghyuck hears him before he sees him. Yukhei’s footsteps are incredibly loud, and he careens straight into Donghyuck, sending them both stumbling backwards.

They regain their balance, and Yukhei has perspiration running down the sides of his face. “I’m…I’m sorry I’m late,” He pants. “It’s alright.” Donghyuck shakes his head.

Yukhei wraps his ridiculously long arms around Donghyuck’s shoulder, resting his chin on top of his head. “I can’t believe you’re leaving before me.” He huffs. Donghyuck hugs him back, breathing in the cottony scent of his jacket. “I can’t believe we’ll never see each other again,” Donghyuck sighs.

 

Suddenly, Yukhei pulls back. “Hey.” He says. “What?” Donghyuck mutters, looking down.

“Hey, look at me, Hyuck.” Donghyuck looks up reluctantly. Yukhei’s eyes are earnest, and he can’t look away. “Who says we won’t meet again?” Yukhei asks.

“Well, I just,” Donghyuck swallows. “I promise we’ll see each other again. Sooner than you think.” Yukhei says, and this is the most open Donghyuck’s seen him. “Can you promise me you won’t forget me?” Yukhei asks, voice small.

“I could never forget you, Xuxi.” Donghyuck says. “I promise.”

The final call for Donghyuck’s flight is announced over the intercom. “I have to go.” He mutters, but doesn’t let go of Yukhei. “Yeah.” Yukhei mumbles.

“Bye, I guess.” Donghyuck says. He lets go of Yukhei’s jacket slowly, and turns to walk into the security check.

“Wait, Hyuck!” Yukhei calls out, fingers wrapping around Donghyuck’s wrist. “Don’t say goodbye. I’ll wait for you for as long as needed, and we’ll see each other again. This isn’t goodbye, okay?” 

“I’ll see you again.” Donghyuck echoes. The security guard motions for him to hurry up, and his wrist slips out of Yukhei’s grip as he enters the checkpoint. He passes his Doraemon-patterned passport to the guard mechanically, eyes stinging.

Once he’s passed the checkpoint, he looks back. Yukhei is standing in the exact same spot as he was, staring at Donghyuck. He lifts a hand up to wave at him, and Yukhei waves back, fingers crooked. See you, he mouths.

A smile spreads across Yukhei’s face. See you. He mouths back, and Donghyuck smiles. He clenches his hand into a fist and lowers it slowly. He nods at Yukhei, and pushes his cart around the corner. 

The daylight is over, and the night ahead will be long, but Donghyuck doesn’t mind waiting for as long as it takes if it means that he’ll see Yukhei again.

**Author's Note:**

> whew dassit! its over folks hope yall enjoyed it as much as i did!! this fic took like 2 months ahoiw im so sLOW
> 
> a hUGE VERY BIG AMAZING thank u to my dear friend @shinhwi for helping me ososososomuuch with this although u dont like hyuckhei i don't know what i would have done without u (die probably)
> 
> also...THE FIRST REAL HYUCKHEI ONSCREEN INTERACTION?? im dead goodbye


End file.
